Coronavirus: Riverina Salvation Army closes stores
The Salvation Army has closed all but one family store across the Riverina after customers refused to follow measures to combat coronavirus and volunteer numbers dropped. It now urges residents to stop leaving unwanted goods at the stores.
The Wagga News
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All but one Salvation Army Family Store in the Riverina has been shut after customers at one store refused to follow government-mandated guidelines to combat COVID-19.
Major Karen Smith, The Salvation Army’s officer for South West NSW, told The Wagga News that “even though we provided clear signage, hand sanitising stations, etc, customers were refusing to follow our requests and social distancing guidelines”.
“Therefore, for the safety of our staff and volunteers, the shop was shut.”
The Griffith store is the only one open but at reduced hours.
Major Smith said their subsequent decision to close the other six Riverina stores, including Wagga, was not made lightly, but their primary concern “is always the well-being of people”.
“Whether they be our own volunteers, staff and members or members of the public,” she said.
Major Smith is now urging for people to stop leaving unwanted goods outside the closed stores.
“The government has not told us to close, but most of our stores rely on volunteers to run and many are seniors,” she said.
“They have chosen to stay home, and rightly so, but it means we do not have the people to run our stores nor to deal with donations.
“We don’t have the facilities to quarantine donations. That means when our stores are closed, we would have to send someone to the tip with the goods.”
In Albury, Major Irene Pleffer contacted the council to let them know about shutting the shop and was told to put up signs and to move the donation bins behind their locked fence so they could not be accessed.
In the Riverina and Murray regions, local church run Family Stores are in Wagga, Albury, Griffith, Junee, Temora, Young, Cootamundra, Leeton and Wodonga.
A St Vincent de Paul Society NSW spokesperson said the organisation’s stores in Wagga and Lavington are still open at this stage.
The spokesperson said this was subject to change as further regulations come into place and as COVID-19 continues to impact its customers and workforce.
“Where shops are closed, we are still taking donations in clothing bins, which are being serviced though at a reduced rate,” the spokesperson said.
“We still welcome generous donations of quality pre-loved clothing and household items, but remind the community not to leave their items on the doorstep or the street if donation bins are full.”
Across the Murrumbidgee health district, 31 coronavirus cases have been confirmed as of today.
There are now 1918 confirmed cases across the state, making up nearly half of the nation’s total.